The Best Restaurant in Yakima County for 2026

Waterfire Edges Out Yakima Steak Co. by Just TWO Votes — See Who Else Made Our Top 6

There was a fight to the finish, and a very close call comes between WaterFire and Yakima Steak Company as being named by our listeners as the top restaurant in Yakima County for 2026. I actually expected the latter to come out on top, but WaterFire had TWO more votes than Yakima Steak Co.!

Keep reading to see how our full survey pans out (pun kind of intended), plus see which restaurants the listeners and I were shocked to not see on the list.

The Top 6

#6: El Pastor

#5: Papa Baird's

Papa Baird's Restaurant in Terrace Heights Yakima, WA — Biscuits and Gravy, steak, toast, and tomato slices at Papa Baird's in Terrace Heights (Yakima). Photo Credit: Papa Baird's Restaurant via Facebook

#4: El Mirador 2

A hot plate of food from El Mirador 2 in Yakima. Photo: El Mirador 2 via Facebook

#3: Jean’s Cottage Inn

#2: Yakima Steak Company

#1: WaterFire

WaterFire Restaurant and Bar via Facebook

What Each Station Picked

Country Listener Favorite (92.9 The Bull)

Yakima Steak Company

Rock Listener Main Choice (94.5 KATS)

Jean’s Cottage Inn

NewsTalk Radio Top Contender (1280 NewsTalk KIT-AM)

WaterFire

Pop Listener Perfect Pick (107.3 KFFM)

WaterFire

A couple of our Country listeners from 92.9 The Bull swore by Peppermint Stick in Union Gap and Purrr n downtown Yakima, but our Rock audience from 94.5 KATS came in swinging for Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Icehouse Bar and Laredo Drive In found in Naches.

Our 1280 AM news talk radio listeners were fighting for Tikki’s Curry Corner in Moxee and the new smashburger place, Smashed N Sauced, in Selah, while our Pop listeners from 107.3 KFFM suggested Nomad in Tieton and Wacky Crab Shack in West Valley.

One KFFM listener piped in with Canyon River Grill in Ellensburg. (Hey, wait a minute. That’s in Kittitas County, not Yakima, nice try; you’re not slick!)

Listener Shoutouts

Texas-born Samuel M., a 94.5 KATS listener who now lives in Yakima says, “Yakima Steak Company. What did I win for getting the right answer?” Well, Samuel, you get some daps and some claps!

Sonya R., a 107.3 KFFM listener, told us that she feels Las Palomas in Toppenish is the best restaurant around.

The Most Snubbed Restaurants

Jeffrey L., another KATS fan, who’s a transplant from San Diego said, “I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Hoptown yet. Best wood-fired pizza in the county.”

How come nobody in our survey mentioned Dad’s Restaurant in Toppenish or Fred’s Burgers in Zillah? I’m also shocked that Ay Caramba! in Yakima (1300 N 40th Ave #107), my favorite place to get an enchilada, rice, and beans, didn’t make the cut either.